Blog #11

It's so strange to look back on my 10 previous blog posts and see how much I have learned in such a small amount of time. At the beginning of the year I knew that I liked fairy tales but I didn't know exactly why or how to break them down analytically. If I had been asked to break down the meaning of a classic fairy tale in August I would have had no idea where to start, but now I feel very confident in my ability to read and write about classic literature.

I really enjoyed starting the year off with learning about the history of the time period and the Brothers Grimm because it gave me context for the environment that the stories were created in. As the semester went on I really enjoyed focusing on one fairy tale each week because it allowed us to really focus on the deep metaphors and symbolism within each story. The format of the class created an environment where students had to learn to become accountable for their progress and preparation.I liked that we had to do class presentations because it allowed me to focus more deeply on a subject I was interested in and practice my public speaking skills. I liked the weekly blog posts very much because they helped me keep to a strict weekly schedule and allowed me to reflect on all the work I had done that week. This class gave lots of opportunities to correct mistakes in assignments and improve on areas where I was having difficulties which really helped me to progress and grow.

Overall, I think I learned a lot from this class and grew as a student. I learned that stories should not be taken at face value and should be read carefully, no matter how simplistic they may seem. I learned that the meanings behind tales often comes from the environment they were created in, so it is important to study the historical context. I think I progressed in terms of public speaking and preparedness. I think this class was a good FYS because it taught me how to read, study, and work on my own without relying on teachers or classmates. All in all, I found this class very fun and I'm very glad that I took it.

Sources: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/9159z%2B1tBBL.jpg

http://assets.allenandunwin.com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/original/9781631593727.jpg

Blog #10

Comic by Zach Weinsersmith. URL: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2013-08-09

This modern online cartoon by Zach Weinsersmith takes an interesting look at the logic and classic characters from the Rapunzel fairy tale. Rapunzel is a popular story that has been adapted many times. The original Grimm version tells the story of a helpless maiden who is doomed to live in a tall tower because her parents stole from an evil witch's garden. Rapunzel eventually meets a handsome prince who she accepts as her husband, but when the witch discover's the truth Rapunzel's hair is cut off and she is banished. The devastated prince jumps out of the tower, blinding himself on the thorns below, and wonders blindly until he hears the voice of Rapunzel who is able to heal his eyes.

 The Disney movie version of the story is about Rapunzel who is is entrapped so the evil Mother Gothel can use her magic hair, but leaves the tower to go on an adventure to learn more about her heritage and the mysterious lights that fill the sky on her birthday. When Mother Gothel discovers she reveals her true evil nature and stabs Rapunzel's companion. Mother Gothel is only defeated when Rapunzel's hair is cut and Rapunzel's companion is healed with her tears.

This comic flips both of those versions on their heads by exploring a more sinister version of Rapunzel who is classically depicted as a helpless maiden. In this version there is no appearance or illusion to the existence of an evil witch who has trapped Rapunzel, instead it seems like Rapunzel is there of her own freewill in order to trick and trap the princes who try to save her. This is clever because Rapunzel is always shown as the helpless trapped princess who needs to be saved, but this comic suggests that it is actually the princes that need to be saved. The prince's logic in the comic is a clear rejection of the magic and suspension of disbelief found in fairy tales. This possibility of Rapunzel escaping is explored in the modern movie but is never even considered in the original story because it would ruin the magic and symbolism of the tale.

Blog #9

"Bluebeard" is an iconic story with many different versions from many different authors and cultures. In class, we studied "The Robber Bridegroom" and "Fitcher's Bird" by the Brothers Grimm and"Bluebeard" by Charles Perrault. These three stories are all very similar in their construction and themes. A beautiful young woman, often the youngest of two or three sisters, is the main protagonist in all three tales. And in all three tales the young woman is able to defeat their evil fiance or husband through their own clever schemes. These tales all present a clever and witty side of woman and an oppressive and abusive side of men. In all three stories, the man has a history of chopping up and sometimes eating women. The protagonists learn this through curiosity and and expose the men through trickery.

These stories all share a central idea, but there are many elements that make them all unique from one another. First, "The Robber Bridegroom" follows a girl who ventures off to meet her fiance, but his house is empty except for an old woman who warns her to hide. The girl then sees her fiance and his friends chopping apart a woman to eat, and her chopped off finger falls into the girls hiding place. After she and the old woman escape, the girl exposes her husband and his friends by telling a story of what she saw and showing off the finger. Next, "Fitcher's Bird" begins with the protagonist's two older sisters being kidnapped by an old wizard, who dismembers them when he finds that the eggs he gave them are bloody, meaning they went into the room full of his prior victims. When the third daughter is kidnapped, she goes into the room and puts her sisters back together, but leaves the egg behind. The wizard is convinced she did not go into the room and wants to marry her, but the girl tricks him into carrying her hidden sisters back home, and when the wizard and his friends gather in his house for the wedding, the sister's family sets it on fire. Lastly, "Bluebeard" is about a wealthy man who no one wants to marry because of his blue beard. When he gets a wife and goes on a trip, she goes into a room she was not supposed to and finds all his previous murdered wives. He discovers when he sees that the key has blood on it, but she escapes death by stalling until her brothers can arrive to kill him.

My favorite of the three tales was "Fitcher's Bird" because the protagonist was very clever and managed to outsmart the wizard, save her sisters, have the wizard deliver gold to her family, and kill not only the wizard but also his friends all with one convoluted and brilliant scheme. My least favorite was "Bluebeard" because the protagonist was pretty helpless and the moral made it seem like the woman was the villain for her curiosity instead of the hero.

Sources: https://ih0.redbubble.net/image.607278879.2721/flat,750x,075,f-pad,750x1000,f8f8f8.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f3/20/a4/f320a466fd2af4cb6aee4b9b092a1143.jpg

https://cdn.britannica.com/23/6723-050-87ADDE3F/Bluebeard-illustration-Gustave-Dore.jpg

Blog #8

The classic Grimm fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel" is a dark and hauntingly human tale about a brother and sister who must work together to defeat the evil found in the woods and return home. Over the years this famous story has been adapted many times into many forms of literature, film, and television. One of these adaptions is the 1987 MGM film. This more traditional adaption contains many strong similarities to the original fairy tale, but it also has many major differences.

A lot of the important themes from the original story are still present in the film. For example, Hansel and Gretel are still young siblings who are extremely close and care for each other very much. Hansel and Gretel also remain the main protagonists of the story and outwit the witch with their clever schemes instead of relying on magic or adults to save them. The siblings also come from a very poor family that struggles to find enough food to eat, just like the original story. These themes were all important to keep because they show a realistic depiction of life in that time period and illustrate to children that they have the power to defeat challenges in life.

Most of the changes made to plot were for purposes of entertainment and to make the story lighter for young audiences. For example, one of the biggest changes was that Hansel and Gretel got lost in the woods by accident, instead of being abandoned by their parents on purpose. In the movie the parents both love the children and are distraught when they find out the children are missing. Another change was that the other children kidnapped by the witch were rescued in the end instead of being presumed dead or eaten. Overall, the movie version was just more complicated and involved a lot of complex plot points that were never mentioned in the original like the baker, the witch's magical staff, and all of the songs. These changes were all made by the movie makers in order to make the film longer, more interesting, lighter, and more child friendly.

Sources: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi6htvG9N3lAhVDn-AKHeJJAPkQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fit.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHansel_e_Gretel_(film_1987)&psig=AOvVaw1v1zjmY21TWEvhoQlQ0Y6_&ust=1573415686833599

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj5q5vz9N3lAhVjT98KHWv4B_kQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=%2Furl%3Fsa%3Di%26source%3Dimages%26cd%3D%26ved%3D%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fen.wikipedia.org%252Fwiki%252FHansel_and_Gretel%26psig%3DAOvVaw3OHY2pRaHa7mCDG_5n2vHP%26ust%3D1573415647574275&psig=AOvVaw3OHY2pRaHa7mCDG_5n2vHP&ust=1573415647574275

Blog #7

"Dizzy Red Riding Hood" is a Betty Boop cartoon from Fleischer Studios. The original black and white cartoon came out in 1931 and was directed by Dave Fleischer and produced by Max Fleischer. The story follows the iconic cartoon character of Betty Boop as a mature and sexualized version of Little Red. Betty prepares a basket at home before venturing into the woods to visit her grandma, despite the trees warning her of a wolf in the forest. Bimbo, a character who serves as Betty's main love interest in many Betty Boop cartoons, follows her into the woods. A hungry wolf spots Betty and follows her with a knife and fork. Bimbo sees the wolf who is about to attack Betty and drags him into a tree before skinning him and putting on the wolf's skin as a disguise. Bimbo, now dressed as the wolf, follows Betty to her grandmother's house and lays in her bed. When Betty arrives she comments on his large, manly physical features. The cartoon ends with Bimbo revealing his true identity and kissing Betty.

This adaption of the classic fairy tale clearly has many significant differences in both plot and theme. As soon as the cartoon begins we see that there is no mother to tell Betty the rules or help preserve her innocence. The only mention we get of a mother is when Betty tells Bimbo he shouldn't come with her because her mother wouldn't like that. In the original Grimm fairy tale Little Red knows that there are wolves in the forest or that they are bad, because she is completely innocent. In the cartoon, however, Betty is actively warned about the danger of wolves but ventures on anyway. In the original tale the wolf tricks Little Red so that he can eat both her and her grandma, but in the cartoon the wolf attempts to eat Betty right away. Bimbo is a very interesting character in the cartoon because he could be compared to both the wolf and the huntsman. It is true that he saves Betty from the initial wolf, but he also tricks Betty in order to satisfy his own sexual desire. When he reveals his true identity at the end Betty actually seems happy to see him despite him lying and taking advantage of her.


This is clearly a social cartoon that strongly reflects the trends and beliefs of the 1931 time period. Betty is portrayed as an idiotic and sexually mature girl who is easily manipulated by the male figures around her as a form of comedy. Bimbo is supposed to be seen by the audience as the male protagonist and love interest despite the fact that he ignored Betty's order telling him not to follow her into the woods, violently skinned a wolf in order to wear his skin, lied to Betty by disguising himself as both the wolf and the grandmother, and tricked her in order to take advantage of her sexually. The fact that all these actions are supposed to be seen as acceptable and funny makes me really not like the cartoon. Additionally, Betty Boop never gets the rebirth and redemption arc that Little Red gets in the original story. Originally, Little Red survives her initial attack, learns from it, and is able to outsmart the next wolf she meets. In the cartoon however, Betty never learns anything and will probably continue to be taken advantage of by every man she meets.

Here is a link to the Youtube video

Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-LDzzs-Wg

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjbrq-WuszlAhXCdN8KHV2rA5sQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHkAFH1ynzVk&psig=AOvVaw1WgEvpBkyagNohH64eooDz&ust=1572815940544961

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjN19WsuszlAhWyUt8KHS3dD18QjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.themoviedb.org%2Fmovie%2F144808-dizzy-red-riding-hood&psig=AOvVaw1WgEvpBkyagNohH64eooDz&ust=1572815940544961

Blog #6

"Cupid and Psyche" is an old Greek tale about the God Cupid and his wife Psyche. This ancient tale from Greek mythology tells the tragic struggles that the young lovers face as they strive to become a loving couple. Venus, jealous of Psyche's beauty, orders her son Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a hideous beast. Cupid, however, falls in love with Psyche himself and becomes her mysterious husband who visits her only in the night and refuses to be seen. When Psyche betrays his trust and, fearing that he is a hideous monster, looks at him, Cupid leaves her. Desperate to get him back, Psyche endures the tasks put upon her by Venus to prove her worth as a good wife. However, Psyche once again falls victim to her own curiosity and falls into a deathly sleep when she looks into a box she was not supposed to. She is saved only by Cupid who rescues her and brings her up to become his immortal wife.

At first read this story appears very unique, with no similarities to other famous tales, but the story does actually bare a lot of resemblance to the famous Grimm Fairy Tale "The Frog King." In "The Frog King" a princess, distraught at losing her favorite golden ball, makes a promise with a frog to become his lifelong companion if he returns her ball to her. When he arrives at the castle however, she refuses to let him in until the King forces her to keep her promise and let the frog eat and sleep with her. When it is time for him to sleep in her bed, however, she throws him against the wall in anger which causes him to transform into a young prince. The two return to his kingdom to be married, and the prince's faithful servant is so overjoyed that the metal bands build around his heart begin to break.

At first these stories appear to have little in common, but despite a few differences they are both tales about young wives learning to be good companions and build trusting relationships with their husbands. Both stories can also be seen lessons for young girls to accept and love the men that they are forced to marry. In both stories the forced together in a way that resembles arranged marriage. The marriage is philosophized in "Cupid and Psyche" and the king forces his daughter to keep her promise of companionship in "The Frog King." Also in both stories the young woman becomes anxious and angry when she fears she is stuck with a hideous, gross monster. When she acts out in anger, either by sneakily shining a lamp on him or throwing him against a wall, and his real beauty is revealed her feelings toward him change fully into love. In both stories the wife is forced to prove her worth and her ability to serve her husband in domestic ways. In "Cupid and Psyche" Psyche must complete the tasks given to her by Venus in order to test her "housewifery." In "The Frog King" the princess has to eat and sleep with the frog in order to prove herself as a good wife. Both stories end with the beautiful couple being happily married once the wife learns to be a good and trusting wife.

Sources: https://assets.americanliterature.com/al/images/story/the-frog-king.jpg

https://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/Amor-and-Psyche.jpg

Blog #5

In 1937, Walt Disney Studios released its first fully animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This move revolutionized modern entertainment and pioneered a new form of family entertainment. But how does this movie compare to the original Grimm fairy tale it claims to be based off of? To a casual viewer these stories may seem to be basically the same with just a few minor plot adjustments. In reality, however, Walt Disney chose to make very major and specific changes that alter the deeper meanings of the tale entirely.

In order to understand all the changes that were made one must first understand why they were made. The original purpose of traditional fairy tales was to convey specific themes, morals, and lessons through meaningful symbols and repetition. Walt Disney, however, cared much more about profit and entertainment than conveying the intended meaning of the tale. This is why important symbols and repetitions were altered in order to make the movie "more entertaining" for a child audience. For example, the evil queen attempting to kill Snow White three separate times with three items symbolic of femininity and sexuality (culminating in the use of a two sided apple symbolic of the inner struggle of femininity) was changed to become the evil queen attempting to kill Snow White  only once with a simple red apple.

Other changes from the original to the movie were the result of the time period when the movie was made. The movie began production in the great depression which majorly affected the themes and attitudes reflected in the movie. The makes the conscious choice to focus very heavily on the story of the dwarfs, unlike the Grimm version that gives barely any detail about them. Disney chooses to give them each distinct characters, extended scenes all to themselves, and a strong focus on their job and hard working attitudes. This is partly in order to create a more comedic movie, but it is also a way to inspire a society stricken with unrest and difficulty. The movie promotes hard working attitudes that were needed in this time period in man as well as women, who are encouraged by Snow White's love of chores, to peruse a domestic lifestyle 

Most of the changes in the movie are actually the result of Walt Disney's personal life and beliefs. Walt Disney, a country boy who moved to New York and battled his way to the top of the animation industry, loves to validate his success by making his movies at least partially autobiographical. It can be said that the choice to give the prince a much bigger role in the movie by introducing him sooner and making him the one responsible for saving Snow White's life is due to him being representative of Walt Disney himself. The dwarfs (who were responsible for saving Snow White in the original fairy tale) are diminished to doing all of the hard work and getting none of the credit in the movie, just like Walt Disney's animators. Disney also decided to alter the story to make Snow White a maid dressed in rags at the start of the movie (instead of a distinguished royal figure as she is in the original), in order to tell a rags to riches story that reflects his own journey to success.

Sources: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjcsLGl7_HkAhUxmuAKHSIOCWMQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Flwlies.com%2Farticles%2Fsnow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs-at-80%2F&psig=AOvVaw3PvTtwkFEG9-CenGOmCE4i&ust=1569703464244950

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjC4OjL7_HkAhVmUt8KHbduApsQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FWalt_Disney&psig=AOvVaw0NARwTCsNumanQOouVZ8oA&ust=1569703524465956